Grooving machine



Feb. 11, 1958 J. JACOBSON GROOVING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 16, 1953 %21NVEN7UR.

J. JACOBSON GROOVING MACHINE Feb. 11, 1958 Filed Sept. 16, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I VENTOR. wgwz United States Patent GROOVING MACHINE Jacob Jacobson, Cincinnati, Ohio Application September 16, 1953, Serial No. 380,413

3 Claims. (Cl. 113-54) This invention relates to a machine for grooving the seams of tubular sheet metal members.

An object of this invention is to provide a machine for quickly and smoothly grooving a seam in sheet metal to permanently join margins of one or more pieces of sheet metalin interlocking relation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a machine which will effectively groove or set a seam in such a way as to attain a smooth, tightly closed seam while preserving the protective coating on the faces of the sheet metal in substantially unbroken condition.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a device of the above character, adapted to groove seams of varying lengths, as may be desired.

Another object of this invention is to provide a machine having a slotted box section frame adapted to receive and co-operate with a portion of a power driven seam grooving roll carriage having a seam-grooving roll jour naled thereon exteriorly of said frame.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a. machine of the above described character, in which the seam-grooving roll travels along a straight path with no substantial deviation from said path.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a machine of the above described character having'control means adapted to preclude injury to the operator, particularly the operators limbs.

From the following description and the accompanying drawings, the above and other objects and features of this invention will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art to whichit pertains.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a view inv front elevation of a machine embodying-aform of the inventionfor groovinga seam, Portions of the machinebeing broken away to more clearly illustrate details of construction and co-operation of the various parts thereof;

Fig. 2 is a view in end elevation of a portion of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1, taken along a line II-II in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in taken along the line IIIHI in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view in elevation, partly in section, taken along the line IVIV, and showing the co-operation of the box section frame, the carriage, the seam-grooving roller, a work piece having a seam being grooved, and an anvil for supporting said work piece seam during said operation; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are fragmentary views in section, showing a lock joint before and after grooving by the machine.

Heretofore, it has been customary practice in manufacturing sheet metal duct sections and the like, to set or groove seams therein by supporting same upon an anvil in registry with a shallow forming groove therein and driving the seam into the groove with a mallet to thereby drive the seam into the groove and set it therein.

This hand operation was time-consuming, expensive, and

horizontal cross-section,

ice

often caused ruptures of protective coatings such as the zinc layer on galvanized sheet iron.

In the drawings, a preferred form of seam-grooving machine embodying my invention is illustrated. The machine comprises a.- box-like frame 15, a carriage 16 supported thereby, and provided with a seaming roller 17, and an anvil 18.on which the seam is set or grooved bythe roller 17.

Frame is supported at one end by a support stand 19 and at the other end by an overhead cable 20. The frame may be. made from a pair of channel members 21 arranged with the flanges facing each other. The upper flanges'22 are secured. toieach other as by welding, while the lower flanges 23 are spaced to provide a slot 24 extending lengthwise ofv the frame.

Carriage. 16 comprises'two pairs of spaced wheels or rollers 25 and 26 mounted on axles 27 and 28 that extend throughlegs 29 and 30 of a V-shaped frame adjacent to the ends of a base or bar 31 as shown. The diameter of the wheels 25 and 26 is less than the spacing between the upper and lower flanges 22 and 23, so that they may roll thereon, as. will be shown infra.

The seam-setting roller 17, cylindrical throughout its length except for portions adjacent its ends which are ofprogressively .reduced diameter toward said ends,-is mounted, on a pin or axle 32 secured at the apex of a V-shape frame the legs of which are secured to the axles 27 and 28 of rollers.2'5 and 26.

Wheels 25 and 26 ride on the lower flanges '23, when there is no upward thrust applied to the seaming wheel 17 and run against the upper flanges 22 when an upward thrust is appliedas when. a seam is formed.

In order to insure that the carriage 16 will run true and on line on the frame 15, wheels 33 are provided that engage one or the other of the Webs of the frame channelcomponents 21.

The carriage 16 is provided with means for driving the same from. one. end to the other of the frame 15*. As shown, that means comprises a roller or sprocket chain 34' that runs over sprocket wheels 35 and 36 mounted at the opposite ends of the frame 15. A motor 37 and. gear reducer 38 maybe coupled to wheel 35 to drive the chain 34. 'One end of the chain 34 is con nected to one side 39: of the carriage 16 and the other end to the oppositesid'e 40, see Fig. 1

An automatic brake 37 may be provided for motor 37. Brake 37' isautomatically released when power is supplied to motor 37 and automatically applied when power is not supplied to motor 37. Control of motor 37 is effected by a master switch 41 and directionselecting switches 42 and 43 mounted upon the face of frame 15, as shown in Fig. 1. Switches 41, 42, and 43 are so arranged that an operator must use both of his hands, one to actuate switch 41, and the other to actuate switch 42 or 43, to operate the machine. The machine thus operates only when the operators hands are in a safe location. Limit switches 44 and 45 are provided at the opposite ends of the carriage path where they are tripped by arm 46 on carriage 16 as it reaches the end of its path.

Elongate anvil 18 having a groove 47 in its upper face is secured to support stand 19 below frame 15 in substantially parallel relation thereto. A sling link 48 is pivotally mounted on frame 15 near the end supported by cable 20. Sling link 48 has a support pad 49 which supports the free end of anvil 18, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Nuts 50 may be turned to raise or lower pad 49 to support anvil 18 in parallel relation to frame 15. A plate 51 secured on link 48 and through which clamp screw 52 is advanceable to clamp anvil 18 is provided as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to facilitates secure clamping of anvil 18 to sling 48. Sling link 48 may be swung away from anvil 18 to position 53 shown in Fig. l, to permit placement and removal of tubular work pieces 54 upon anvil 18.

The machine may be used to groove a seam in a sheet metal tube in the following way. The hook fianges SS and 56 are placed ininter-connected relation on anvil 18 in registry with groove 47, as shown in Fig. 5, and

clamped in place by toggle-clamps (not. shown) or other suitable means, while carriage 16 is at rest at the end of its path adjacent limit switch 44. Switches 41 and 42 are closed and as carriage 16 is advanced to the end 57 of the seam or until limit switch 45 is tripped. Roller 17 crushes the seam into forming groove 47. Switch 42 is released to open and switch 43 is closed to return carriage to loading position wherein limit switch 44 is tripped. The grooved seam is then in clinched or set condition as illustrated in Fig. 6. Switches 41 and 43 are released to open, clamp screw 52 is released, sling link 48 swung to position 53, and work piece 54 is re- 'moved after toggle clamps (not shown) are removed.

Sling 48 is returned to anvil-supporting position and clamp screw 52 is tightened. The operation is then repeated. If a seam is to be grooved in a tubular piece .the work piece is placed upon anvil 18 while sling 48 is in position 53.

Suitable guards 58, 59, and 60 may be provided to substantialy house the sprocket wheels 35 and 36 and roller chain 34 as illustrated by the fragmentary portions thereof shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4. Sprocket wheels 35 and 36 may be held to a substantially minimum diameter if at least one idler wheel 61 is suitably mounted on top of frame 15 to preclude dragging or rubbing of the chain 34 thereon.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A machine for setting a sheet metal seam comprising an elongate anvil having a seaming groove extending longitudinally thereof, an elongate hollow box-like frame extending parallel to the anvil, said frame having a longitudinal slot parallel and adjacent to but spaced from said seaming groove, a carriage movable inside of and along said hollow frame, said carriage comprising a carriage frame having a base portion disposed within said box frame, a portion of said carriage frame projecting outwardly through said slot toward said anvil and being bifurcated adjacent the anvil end, means on the carriage engaging the top and bottom interior faces of the hollow frame and means on the carriage engaging the interior side walls of the frame, a crushing roll, a crushing roll axle secured to and extending through the bifurcated portion of said carriage frame below said hollow frame, said crushing roll being disposed in the bifurcated portion, said crushing roll axlev being parallel to a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said hollow frame, said crushing roll being adapted for rolling engagement with sheet metal seam metal on said anvil whereby the seam metal may be forced into said groove for setting the seam.

2. A machine for setting a sheet metal seam comprising an elongate anvil having a seaming groove extending longitudinally thereof, an elongate hollow box-like frame extending parallel to the anvil, said frame having a longitudinal slot in the side thereof adjacent said anvil, said slot being parallel to but spaced from said seaming groove, a carriage movable inside of and along and adapted to co-operate with the interior faces of said hollow frame, said carriage having a frame, a base portion of the carriage frame being within said hollow boxlike frame and an additional portion of its frame extending outwardly through said slot towards said anvil, three parallel axles extending through said frame spaced to intersect the apices of an isosceles triangle lying in a plane perpendicular to the axes of said axles, two of said axles being secured to the base portion 'of said carriage frame, and the other thereof to the projecting portion adjacent said anvil, another axle extending through said base portion of the carriage frame between and perpendicularly to the two parallel axes secured thereto, a pair of rollers journaled for rotation on each of said axles secured to said base portion of said carriage frame, each of said rollers being adapted to co-operate alternately with two interior faces of said box-like frame, a seam-grooving roller mounted upon the axle secured to the projecting portion of the carriage frame, said seam-groovingroller being adapted for rolling engagement with sheet metal seam metal on said anvil whereby said seam-grooving roller is limited to non-cocking reciprocation along said anvil groove for forcing the seam metal into said groove to set the seam.

3. A machine according to claim 1 characterized by the fact that a master power control means is provided which comprises a pair of. spaced power-supply control means, each adapted to require full use of one of the operators hands while power is supplied to the machine whereby injury of the operators hands by the machine is substantially precluded while said carriage is moved along the hollow frame and the seam metal is forced into said groove for setting the same.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,612,519 Lindgren Dec. 28, 1926 2,187,498 Landahl Jan. 16, 1940 2,494,009 Sharp Jan. 10, 1950 2,621,621 Kaiser Dec. 16, 1952 2,696,182 Hoenninger et a1. Dec. 7, 1954 

